Tsutaya Bookstore

Nagoya, Japan’s fourth largest city, is known for, among other things: the beautiful Nagoya Castle, delectable dishes like hitsumabushi (eel over rice), a hub for the automotive industry, being the birthplace of the famous Noritake porcelain, and Ghibli Park, a theme park dedicated to Studio Ghibli films. In general, the city blends its rich history with modernity. It’s easy to spend time exploring a breathtaking 2,000 year old shrine, walk for ten minutes, and find yourself shopping at H&M or Uniqlo at a nearby mall. 

At one such mall, the Aeon Mall Noritake Garden, you will find the Tsutaya Bookstore — a must-visit for locals, tourists, bookworms, and photography-lovers alike. In the bookstore is a beautifully lit bookshelf that looks like it extends from the floor to the ceiling. This multi-storied (in all senses) “infinity” bookshelf is framed by a mirrored staircase and ceiling, which helps create the illusion of endless rows of books. Dreamy for voracious readers and those who appreciate a good Instagram photo-op.

The bookshelf shows how thoughtful design, art, and function can be bound together to create something that truly speaks volumes. It is reason enough to check out Tsutaya Bookstore, but while there, take time to browse books, comics, and magazines in multiple languages, grab a coffee at the bookstore’s café, and check out some stationary; clearly this spot is in fact somewhere to write home about.

Other bookstores ought to take a page (or infinite pages) out of Tsutaya’s book(s)!